As manufacturing environments become more automated and complex, robotics and other automated machinery is becoming more and more prevalent in all phases of manufacturing. Very specific tasks that are conventionally performed by a skilled artisan may be performed by highly specialized robotics having highly specialized end effectors. For example, drilling holes in composite sections of a contoured section of an airplane wing may require a high level of precision with respect to applying torque to a motor for moving the end effector around a contoured wing surface. A further example is the need to tightly control the actuation force applied to the wing section by the drill bit in order to avoid compromising the wing itself.
In the past, a force limitation circuit or device has been employed to limit the force applied by a moving motor or an end effector actuator. However, as large end-effector/motor housing machines move around a contoured surface, the effect of gravity on the package changes. Thus a force required by the motor for moving the package upward along a contoured surface will be different than a force required for moving the same package downward. Therefore, a single force limitation parameter will not be sufficient for both scenarios.